


In which Juno is not fine (whatever he says)

by zinabug



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Knife violence (not graphic), M/M, Major Character Injury, Non-Graphic Violence, he’s not fooling anyone, “hiding injury”
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24549775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinabug/pseuds/zinabug
Summary: Juno gets injured in a fight and he’s too stubborn to admit it, obvious as it is.-“Juno,” Peter trailed off and sighed. “I really don’t think you are fine.”Juno glared at him. “Prove it.”
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 4
Kudos: 175





	In which Juno is not fine (whatever he says)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [who_are_we](https://archiveofourown.org/users/who_are_we/gifts).



> Gifted to you because we have one braincell and that’s how this fic was born. 
> 
> I wrote and posted this on my phone in the middle of the night and I’m sorry for any typos, etc.

Getting knocked clean off your feet into a solid wall is one of the worst ways to start the day Juno Steel had ever experienced, and he’s had a lot of bad days. 

“Juno!” 

Peter’s voice sounded very far away. Juno sat up and instantly regretted it as his head swam and he just about toppled over again. 

“I’m fine!” He yelled, his voice rough with dust and pain. He was not fine. 

Peter stabbed someone in the background while Juno tried to figure out how badly he was injured. He’d experienced most ways someone could be injured and live, making it pretty easy to assess broken ribs, several bruises and cuts, and his shoulder. It was pretty screwed up, either dislocated or he had more broken bones to deal with. He’d also hit his head pretty hard- that explained the dizziness. 

Juno cursed and scrambled for his blaster as the goon who’d thrown him into the wall in the first place advanced, grinning and holding her weapon. 

Juno grabbed his blaster with his bad hand and gritted his teeth against the pain.  _ No time no time no time _ \- he whipped around and shot the goon in the chest. It was luck, pure and simple, as his vision went black from the additional strain on his injured arm. 

Peter called his name again, and he pulled himself out of the fog to yell at him. “I said I’m fine, goddamnit!” 

Juno looked around for something he could use to pull himself up from the ground- there was no way his legs were going to take his weight. He settled on the wall and started pulling himself up, inch by inch. 

His head injury hated him for it too, leaving him standing but dizzy, shaking and nauseous. He dazedly watched as Peter threw his knife at the last of the goons, stopping him in his tracks. 

Peter turned to Juno, and he would have waved but his good arm was holding his broken ribs. He could’ve seen Nureyev’s concern from a mile away, nevermind 15 feet, as much as his vision was blurring. 

Peter ran over to him, trying to wipe his bloody hands on his coat. “Juno- your head-“ 

“I’m fine!” Juno snapped, reaching up with his good arm to touch the back of his head. It came away red. 

“Juno,” Peter trailed off and sighed. “I really don’t think you are fine.”

Juno glared at him. “Prove it.”

“You are all the proof I need, detective. Can you walk? We should head back to the ship.” 

“I can walk.” Juno snapped. He wasn’t actually sure if he could walk, but he was going to anyway. He didn’t need Nureyev…  _ hovering _ over him like a goddamn mother hen. 

That wasn’t going to stop him from hovering anyway, walking very close to Juno as he limped his way down alleys and side streets towards their ship. Juno knew Peter was planning on catching him if he stumbled or fainted, both of which seemed likely. 

Juno kept walking- although  _ wobbling  _ might have been a more accurate term. It hurt to breathe. Hell, it hurt to think. It felt like one of Nureyev’s knives was jammed into the back of his skull. 

Peter kept asking him if he was okay, and each time Juno told him he was fine. He was pretty sure he was actually getting less fine by the minute. Juno stumbled, and one of Peter’s hands shot out to grab him. One of his bloody hands. Juno suddenly felt sick. 

They were probably halfway to the ship when Juno paused, leaning against the wall and closing his eye. He felt awful, broken and battered and sick. 

“Juno-“ 

“Can’t a lady have a breather?” Juno opened his eye again. “And if you ask me if I’m okay one more goddamn time-  _ oh _ .” 

Juno steel felt himself collapse into darkness, Peter’s call of his name chasing him on the way down. 

* * *

“Juno!” 

Peter ran forwards to catch him as he suddenly crumpled to the ground. The idiot was horribly injured, and too stubborn to admit it. 

_ Calm down, Nureyev. File it away, deal with the now. First aid.  _

Peter dug through his pockets and bag for the first aid supplies he kept in there after the first time Juno had almost collapsed on his watch. It was just common sense to do so, he’d told himself over and over, not a “just in case” for the next time he met Juno.

_ File it away.  _

Check Juno’s pulse- steady. Check his breathing- fast and shallow. He had what felt like two broken ribs and a head injury that Peter bandaged with shaking hands. 

Peter wasn’t going to panic. He was going to wake Juno up and get him back to the ship and it was going to be okay. 

_ He wasn’t going to panic _ . Put the panic in the “for future consideration” box, focus on Juno, focus on Juno- 

Peter panicked. 

He tried to take deep breaths, to file it away, but that wasn’t going to work anymore. 

Juno was mostly propped up against Peter after he’d caught him. 

Juno’s blood was all over his hands, covering the drying blood from the three people he’d killed. He numbly remembered that Juno didn’t like blood, and tried to wipe it in his coat before he realized what he was doing and stopped. 

Juno stirred slightly, mumbling something, and Peter felt his breath catch in his throat. 

“Juno please- Juno, wake up, please wake up-“ 

He was going to cry, and he hated it. Peter hated his emotions being visible to everyone else, hated how vulnerable it made him feel. 

He hadn’t cried for a very long time...

_ For future consideration  _

Juno coughed, pulling Peter out of his thoughts. 

“Juno?” Peter asked, lightly pushing Juno’s hair out of his face. 

“Ben?” Juno mumbled. “You there?”

“No, Juno, it’s me, it’s Peter, wake up-“ 

Juno groaned. “N-Nureyev?”

Peter could have sobbed with relief- probably still would, the way things were going. 

“Juno, dear, why didn’t you tell me you were injured?” It was a struggle to keep his voice steady, but he’d had a lot of practice. “I could have helped!”

“Don’t like bein’ a burden on people.” Juno mumbled. 

“Juno- you could hardly stand, and you just fainted.” Peter laughed through the tears that were definitely falling now. “There’s a big difference.” 

“Nureyev, are you crying?” Juno asked. He was more awake now. 

“Oh, Juno.” Peter shook his head, tears still falling freely down his face. “Yes, I am.” He pulled Juno closer to his chest. 

“Ow- my ribs-“ Juno said through gritted teeth. 

“I’m sorry.” Peter let go of him, before leaning down and kissing the top of Juno’s head. “I’m so sorry, for everything.” 

He didn’t just mean all of Juno’s injuries. He was sorry for every broken heart and broken bone Detective Juno steel had gone through, especially the ones he’d caused- he’d caused more of them then he liked to think about. Something he didn’t want to file away- but he did it anyway, tucked into  _ “for future consideration.”  _

And for now, he would hold onto Juno and cry for the first time in what felt like forever. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
